17616320:CL MARCH 2013(10)
2/26/2013
10:55 AM
Page 10
[food and dining]
Culinary changes afoot Two downtown Marietta staples get new owners Two of Marietta Square’s best-known restaurants have new owners. Sterling and Nancy Wharton of Marietta purchased both Willie Rae’s and Simpatico in January from longtime owner Ben Lyman. The two eateries have been mainstays of “restaurant row” on North Park for years. The Whartons plan to let their daughter Katie Pfister and husband Micah — both of whom are accomplished chefs — run the restaurants. The menu at Willie Rae’s will remain mostly the same, with the addition of some Simpatico favorites. Meanwhile, Simpatico is joining the trend of “local fare-to-table” movement by relying heavily on growers from Cobb County, many of whom can be found at the popular Marietta Farmers’ Market on the Square, Wharton said. In another big change, the Pfisters will open a bakery upstairs in Simpatico, which will produce all the breads and desserts offered downstairs. Other plans include having late-night hours to capture the “after-show” crowd from the Strand, Wharton said. Simpatico will also get an updated interior, he said.
New seafood restaurant Pier 213 opens Pier 213 Seafood opened in February on S. Marietta Parkway not far from the Square. Marietta residents and brother and sister Kevin and Kammie Sakprasit are bringing a variety of fried, grilled and steamed plates of seafood to diners in a fast casual restaurant. The menu focuses on high-quality ingredients and freshly-caught seafood from the Gulf Coast. The siblings also own Irvington Seafood in Mobile, Alabama, and have been supplying metro area restaurants with seafood for the last eight years. Signature items at Pier 213 include a crab cake dish made with plump crab meat, richly seasoned and pan-fried. In addition to their regular menu, Pier 213 frequently offers shrimp, crab and crawfish low-country boils on a seasonal basis. The familyfriendly restaurant also has a special menu for children. Inside the nautical-themed 3,200-squarefoot dining area, the restaurant seats up to 80 guests. The spacious patio can seat up to 16 diners. Pier 213 Seafood is at 35 S. Marietta Parkway in Marietta and is open daily. For more information about Pier 213, call (678) 290-8170 or visit pier213.com.
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Cobb Life March 2013
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